Despite President Donald Trump's claims to the contrary, there aren't many people are happy with the government shutdown.

A quarter of the government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and it is not expected to be funded again through the new year. Much of the debate surrounding the shutdown traces back to Trump's demand for $5 billion for a border wall along the southern border.

“Whatever it takes,” Trump said Wednesday when asked how long the shutdown could last.

The president followed that up Thursday afternoon with tweets criticizing the "Democrats OBSTRUCTION of the desperately needed wall."

Democrats, however, say that much money isn't going to happen.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., said the shutdown hurts the economy and "erodes the American people’s trust in our ability to do our most basic job."

"From the outset, Democrats have been willing to negotiate and strike a deal to increase funding for modern technology at the border, but President Trump walked away from an agreement choosing to shut down the federal government," she said in a statement.

In Maryland and Virginia, other Democratic lawmakers feel much the same way. Trump dodged questions about the amount of money for the wall during his trip to Iraq, but local Democrats have indicated they're not willing to move much.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said in an interview on CNN on Wednesday that the president had not been clear on what he was trying to achieve as far as the funding goes.

"One thing is clear: We all want border security," Cardin said. "We're prepared and already had provided funds for border security. A wall does not make a great deal of sense."

He said come Jan. 3, Democrats would have much better oversight as the party would take control of the House of Representatives. That would lead to more answers, Cardin said.

Lisa Blunt Rochester is greeted at the podium by US Senator Chris Coons after she was reelected to her seat in the House of Representatives at the DoubleTree Hotel in Wilmington Tuesday.(Photo: WILLIAM BRETZGER, The News Journal)

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat representing Virginia, also held the president responsible for the shutdown. A spokesperson for Kaine said that while Trump wanted $5 billion, he had not indicated support "for immigration reform the country badly needs."

Kaine's fellow senator, Mark Warner, D-Va., gave similar thoughts. He said that Trump chose a shutdown over multiple proposals for "effective" technology to increase border security, such as expert-suggested sensors or drones.

"Virginians and federal workers across the Commonwealth don’t want a government shutdown," Warner said. "And they certainly don’t want an antiquated wall that’s not proven to keep our borders safe."

Rep. Andy Harris, the only Republican representing Maryland in Congress and the only Republican representing all of Delmarva when the new session starts, did not respond to requests for comment.

Groups such as NASA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management are often working on time-sensitive projects that can be costly if delayed. Only employees needed to protect property and sustain life (such is the case with those supporting the International Space Station) are to work during a shutdown, but they are doing only the mandatory activities, which does not often include advancing projects.

Paul Shearon, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents many federal workers including NASA employees, said in a statement Wednesday that the shutdown placed an "unnecessary burden" on furloughed employees.

"The president falsely claims that 'many' federal workers support the shutdown and have told him to 'stay out,' " Shearon said in a statement. "We have not heard from a single member who supports the president’s inaction. Most view this as an act of ineptitude."

The Democrats OBSTRUCTION of the desperately needed Wall, where they almost all recently agreed it should be built, is exceeded only by their OBSTRUCTION of 350 great people wanting & expecting to come into Government after being delayed for more than two years, a U.S. record!

Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, said in an interview with CNN that federal employees "had the carpet ripped out from under them" because they cannot sustain being cut off from their income.

Financial institutions, such as the Navy Federal Credit Union, are offering short-term loans to those not getting paid, but those options are often available only if specific standards are met and often don't cover the full amount a federal employee would be getting paid.

The Office of Personnel Management posted to Twitter on Thursday with a sample letter for furloughed employees to use when talking to creditors, landlords and others about details of payment.

"As we discussed, I am a Federal employee who has recently been furloughed due to a lack of funding of my agency," one suggested letter reads. "Because of this, my income has been severely cut and I am unable to pay the entire cost of my monthly payments, along with my other expenses."

A different letter suggests employees offer to talk with their landlords about "the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments."

OPM suggested that federal employees talk to their personal attorneys if other financial questions come up. In response, many Twitter users pointed out that the employees probably wouldn't be able to afford a personal lawyer without their paychecks.

Chris Lu, a former United States Deputy Secretary of Labor during the Obama administration, shared the letter on Twitter.

"The U.S. govt is the world's most powerful organization," Lu said in a Tweet. "This is what it's been reduced to."